"President-elect Donald Trump on Monday tapped former representative Lee Zeldin of New York to serve as Environmental Protection Agency administrator, a crucial role that will oversee the rollbacks of dozens of President Joe Biden’s environmental policies."
Again this year, a petrostate hosts the COP climate gathering. Azerbaijan as host not only raises questions of how an oil-rich nation can help foster the fossil fuel cuts needed to stem climate change. But WatchDog Opinion also worries what Azerbaijan’s poor press freedom record will mean for journalists covering the gathering and for the civil society that normally enlivens the meeting.
"The second Trump administration’s federal lands agenda is widely expected to promote fossil fuels development and reverse Biden administration conservation efforts, moves environmental groups say they’ll litigate at every opportunity."
"From California to Louisiana, ballot measures on climate and the environment gained voters’ approval. In state legislatures, results were mixed."
"Public utility commissions hold significant sway over state energy systems. Clean energy advocates failed to break through in elections this year."
"The president-elect has promised to make it easier to build energy infrastructure and secure drilling leases. But higher production could hurt prices and profits."
"Buyouts and budget cuts are some options the president-elect might consider to reduce the agency’s workforce."
"Ursula von der Leyen’s decision to miss the Cop29 climate summit is “a fatal signal” and raises questions about Europe’s commitment to the climate crisis, observers have said."
"The Biden administration moved Wednesday to narrow the scope of an oil-and-gas lease sale in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that was mandated under President Donald Trump."
"A man has been charged after allegedly trying to blow up a Tennessee power substation as part of a white supremacist plot to upend American society, another potential instance of extremism targeting critical infrastructure."
